IU senior forward Kym Royster has had a quiet season through 22 games.
But as the team found itself in a two-game losing streak, and losses in five of its last seven games, the lone senior that contributes big minutes made a lot of noise in Lincoln, Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.
Royster scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help catapult the Hoosiers over the Cornhuskers, 82-78, to improve to 6-5 in the Big Ten and 17-6 overall.
She scored the ball at an efficient rate, too. From the field, Royster shot 7 of 8 and at the free-throw line she shot 5 of 6.
With 29 seconds left, IU led by three as Nebraska searched for the tie. After two missed 3-point shots, junior guard Ali Patberg, who bounced back from recent struggles with a team-high 22 points, fouled Cornhuskers guard Hannah Whitish.
Whitish missed both free throws, and Royster grabbed the rebound and was fouled immediately.
Standing at the line with nine seconds left, she needed to make at least one free throw. Royster missed the first as the the Nebraska faithful were rejuvenated in hopes that she’d miss the second.
But Royster stood calmly and silenced the crowd, icing the game with a make on her second attempt.
“That’s probably the best game of her career,” IU Coach Teri Moren said.
The penetration from Patberg and sophomore guards Jaelynn Penn and Bendu Yeaney caused Royster’s defender to rotate over, allowing Royster to get an easy dump off for two points. Other times, Royster would grab a missed shot herself and put it back up.
She finished with six offensive rebounds.
“She had it rolling today, and I was happy with the way we shared the ball,” Moren said. “I’m really proud of the way she rebounded it. She came up with some timely rebounds there for us.”
Consistency has been the word that has loomed over Royster in her four-year career at IU. She shattered that concern Sunday as she scored six points in the first, six in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth.
But it's not about the consistency in a single game, rather the consistency moving to the next one. Coming back home, Royster and her team will look to stay consistent Wednesday night against Minnesota.
